The following was written by Sgt. 1st Class Mark F. Ounan, an Active/ Guard infantry Soldier currently assigned to the 324th Military Police Btn., Chambersburg, Pa. Ounan is also the only current Soldier and Military Vehicle Preservation Association member taking place in the 2009 MVPA Convoy. Here's an exert from the journal he's keeping as he travels cross-country.

I am now wrestling with two problems: the battery and transmission.

My generator is no longer charging the battery, and so the lights and the points that run the engine are sucking the battery dry. I brought a battery charger with me, but this has to be plugged in to a wall. I looked for a portable one. But all I could find is the type that jumpstart your car - nothing that will charge a battery fully. Tonight I'll take the battery out of the car and bring it into the hotel and charge it up over night.

I am also having trouble with my transmission oil. It's still leaking out at an alarming rate. The transmission is making noises, chattering and clicking, but the car still seems to be running okay.

Today we're scheduled to visit the First Division Museum in Wheaton, Ill. And tonight we're camping at an airport in Rochelle, Ill., where there is an air show with some piper cubs and a World War II Avenger; and a USO show with dancing and music. I've also going to make time to charge up the battery and try a new mix of grease.